Do you have beautiful and naturally curly hair that you want to preserve even after your 50s? Then learning how to properly care for it at that age can help. Note that as you turn 50, your naturally curly hair will also start showing some signs of aging.
There is a chance for your curls to become looser and less bouncy and even lose their shine. These problems may even worsen because of hormonal imbalances, intake of medications, and exposure to external environmental factors.
Luckily, there are ways to take care of your curly hair even in your 50s that will be of help in preserving its beauty.
Common Curly Hair Issues in your 50s
Before tackling how to care for your curly hair as you age, it’s important to understand some of the issues that you may encounter. Among the most common curly hair issues in your 50s are the following:
- Breakage, which often happens because of daily wear and tear – Everything that your hair goes through, including styling, blow-drying, and brushing, may tear and damage it. These effects may be more noticeable upon reaching midlife.
- Thinning – This problem may be caused by hormonal changes and the natural aging process. Other factors that may trigger the thinning of your curly hair are poor diet, certain prescription medications, stress, and medical issues.
- Flyaways and frizz – Flyaways are often a result of a lack of moisture and as women age, their scalps produce less sebum. Curly hair especially is already prone to frizziness as the natural curl pattern makes it hard for natural oils to travel down hair strands and hydrate them– and aging can only make this worse.
- Loss of shine and moisture – You may lose the natural shine and moisture of your curly hair because of all the years of overusing hot tools as well as chemical processes that cause damage to your cuticle layers. All these processes may rob your hair of its lovely luster.
Other issues include dryness, split ends, limpness, tangles, and slow growth – all of which are natural parts of the aging process. It would be best to embrace these things as they naturally happen to your hair as you age. The good news is that there are also ways to fix them and with proper care, you can preserve the beauty of your natural curls.
Caring for your Curly Hair
The key to caring for and preserving your beautiful curly hair even at 50 and beyond is simple – treating it gently. It is also crucial to keep it well-moisturized. In that case, here are some tips that can help you.
Be gentle when brushing your hair
Tame your curls by brushing them gently using a wide-toothed comb. This comb can help in getting rid of tangles from your curly hair. When combing, start from the bottom then go up to eliminate any knots. As much as possible, use the wide-tooth comb as you also condition your hair in the shower.
Avoid using a hairbrush as it may disrupt the natural curl pattern and cause curls to lose their definition. In case you still prefer using a brush, choose one that has soft bristles, such as a boar’s hair to prevent causing breakage.
Trim regularly
Make it a regular habit to trim your curly hair. The recommendation is to trim it every six to eight weeks. This helps in eliminating split ends and damaged hair while ensuring that your curls stay in excellent condition. Regular trimming also helps make the ends of your curly hair remain healthy and thick. Updating your look every now and then by getting a new haircut will also improve the way your curls look.
Use a heat protectant spray
It is also advisable to keep your curly locks fully protected from all styling tools, like curling irons, flat irons, and blow dryers that may cause your hair to become weak and brittle. Note that it is now more important for you to protect and look after your aging and weaker hair. This is to ensure that it will not experience further breakage and damage.
This is why it’s important to use a heat protection spray each time you style your hair with heated tools. Putting a diffuser on your hairdryer is also important as it guarantees the gentle and even distribution of heat, reducing frizz.
Avoid shampooing excessively
While it’s essential to use the best shampoo for your curly hair – one that perfectly suits the needs of aging curls, it is not advisable to use it daily. The reason is that curly hair is prone to dryness. Shampooing excessively may only result in the loss of your curly hair’s natural moisture.
Too frequent shampooing may also lead to stressing out and stretching your fragile strands. Of course, you still need to shampoo but stick to doing it every other day or three days. Avoid using a shampoo that has a lathering agent known as sodium lauryl sulfate since it can strip moisture from your hair. Sulfate-free shampoos are always the best choice for aging curls.
Hydrate your hair through deep conditioning
Caring for your curly hair in your 50s also involves keeping it well-hydrated. In that case, you should deep condition your ends and lengths using formulations or oils that include palm, avocado, and shea butter. The conditioner you are using also needs to have moisturizing ingredients. By deep conditioning your hair, you seal your hair cuticle, thereby keeping it protected from environmental damage.
Conclusion
One key point to remember about having curly hair is that it is prone to dryness. It also craves moisture. With that in mind, avoid hair-care habits that may wash out your hair’s natural oils. It is also advisable to invest in quality hair products guaranteed to moisturize your hair naturally. Your goal here is to treat your curly hair properly so you can retain its shine, health, and beautiful texture even as you age.